Anyone who has wandered through a Mediterranean city at noon in mid-summer knows the feeling. The light is blinding, the pavement radiates heat, and even the most beautiful streets suddenly feel exhausting. As climate change pushes temperatures higher and heatwaves become more frequent, this pause in city life is no longer a seasonal inconvenience. It is a growing challenge for residents, visitors, and destinations that depend on tourism.
This is the starting point of COOL NOONS, a European cooperation project led by AVITEM that asks a timely question: how can Mediterranean cities remain enjoyable, livable, and welcoming during the hottest hours of the day? Funded by the Interreg Euro-Med Programme, COOL NOONS brings together cities, tourism organisations, and research teams to explore practical ways of adapting urban tourism to extreme heat—without losing the soul of the city.
Slowing down, not shutting down
Rather than encouraging visitors to retreat indoors or avoid cities altogether, COOL NOONS proposes something more thoughtful: redesigning the midday experience. At the heart of the project are the “Cool Noon Paths”—carefully designed routes that guide people through cooler, more comfortable urban environments during peak heat hours.
These paths connect shaded streets, parks, water features, museums, libraries, and cultural spaces, allowing both residents and visitors to continue exploring. The aim is to experience the city more slowly and more consciously, respecting the body’s limits in high temperatures.
COOL NOONS focuses on implementation. Five Mediterranean pilot cities—Marseille, Bologna/Imola, Lisbon, Dubrovnik, and Budva—are testing these ideas in real conditions. Each city adapts the concept to its own climate, urban fabric, and tourism profile, ensuring that solutions feel local rather than imposed.
Designed with people, not just for them
A defining feature of COOL NOONS is its focus on co-creation at the intersection of urban planning and tourism development. Local residents, tourists, professionals, and city authorities actively shape the solutions through workshops and creative sessions.
The resulting interventions are often simple yet powerful: more trees and greenery, shaded seating, small water installations, clearer signage toward cool spaces, or new ways of activating existing cultural venues during the hottest hours. Individually modest, together they reshape how a city feels at noon.
When culture and technology cool the city
The project also reimagines cultural spaces as urban climate refuges—places where people can cool down while engaging with local heritage. Museums, libraries, and cultural centres become part of a broader cooling strategy rather than isolated attractions.
By redistributing visitor flows and encouraging alternative routes, COOL NOONS helps ease pressure on overcrowded areas and extends the time people can comfortably spend in the city, benefiting both tourism and everyday urban life.
Turning experience into evidence
Behind the lifestyle-friendly concept lies rigorous research. The impact of each solution is carefully monitored: thermal comfort, visitor satisfaction, movement patterns, and overall experience are measured and compared across cities. This ensures that what feels good also works.
ACG-RC (American College of Greece Research Center), together with the University of Coimbra, plays a central role in shaping the project’s methodological framework, overseeing data collection and cross-cultural evaluation. The ACG-RC team is led by Dr. Maria Vrasida and Dr. Vasileios Vlaseros, coordinating nine researchers.
Dr. Vrasida, Deputy Director of the Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism & Leisure (COEFTL) and Assistant Professor in the IBITHM Department, contributes expertise in strategic planning and destination development, focusing on how cities can adapt to climate pressures while preserving their identity.
Dr. Vlaseros—Director of the EEFA (Experimental Economics & FinTech Analytics) Lab within ACG’s Research, Technology and Innovation Network and Program Coordinator in Data Analytics—translates urban dynamics into actionable insights through advanced data analytics and AI-driven tools. Together, the team transforms everyday urban experiences into evidence-based knowledge cities can use to adapt and innovate.
Lessons for the Mediterranean—and beyond
Although Greece is not one of the pilot cities, the challenges addressed by COOL NOONS feel familiar. From historic centres to island towns, Greek destinations are already grappling with extreme heat and pressure on public space. The project offers a transferable mindset: adaptation does not require radical change, but smarter use of existing spaces, cultural assets, and community knowledge.
Ultimately, COOL NOONS reimagines the relationship between climate, tourism, and urban life. As Mediterranean summers grow hotter, the future of city travel may depend more on comfort, shade, and thoughtful design.
See you on the Path.
